Sunday, August 3, 2014

Aetna is taking their interest in health one step higher with a grant program that will address concerns by the public over the use of technology innovations. The Aetna Foundation announced recently that they are awarding a grant of $1.2 million to support digital health technology among vulnerable and minority populations.

The recent grant is part of Aetna's larger 3-year $4 million program to address issues relating to the use of cell phones, Internet and other technology devices by low-income Americans to access health services. A recent study by Pew Research Center revealed that the use of cell phones to access health information is on the rise, especially among Latinos, African Americans and people between the ages of 18-49. Almost 25 percent of low- income Americans use their smart phones and the Internet for health information.How the grant will help

The problem, as explained by Garth Graham, M.D., M.P.H., president of the Aetna Foundation, is that “Disparities in health care and limited access to preventive services are an unfortunate reality impacting the most vulnerable populations in our country today." The grant money will go to organizations, health care facilities and hospitals who develop programs that focus on easy-to-use ways to leverage existing technology to impact health. The idea is to develop ways to reach low-income people at school and throughout the community with health information that will help them improve their health and wellness needs.